However the deadline extension is not unconditional, EU27 Brexit negotiator Michel Barniersaid at arrival to the European Council. A short Brexitdelay “should be conditional on a positive vote next week in the House of Commons“.

“The European Council will start on Thursday (21.03.2019) afternoon with our usual exchange with President Tajani. We will then turn to Prime Minister May who will share her assessment of the latest developments regarding Brexit. After this, we will discuss the next steps concerning Brexit at 27″ Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council wrote in his open letter.

In the statement president Tusk underlined “..even if the hope for a final success may seem frail, even illusory, and although Brexit fatigue is increasingly visible and justified, we cannot give up seeking – until the very last moment – a positive solution, of course without opening up the Withdrawal Agreement. We have reacted with patience and goodwill to numerous turns of events, and I am confident that, also now, we will not lack the same patience andgoodwill, at this most critical point in this process.”

“I believe that we could consider a short extension conditional on a positive vote on the Withdrawal Agreement in the House of Commons. The question remains open as to the duration of such an extension. Prime Minister May’s proposal, of the 30th of June, which has its merits, creates a series of questions of a legal and political nature”, Tusk continued, adding that the issues would be discussed during the European Council Summit #EUCO.

The leader of a recently established Brexitparty, Member of European Parliament, NigelFarage has immediately reacted on a new deadline, insisting there should not be any extension “in first place”. He also requested the guarantees that the new deadline would be respected: “why should we believe her?” Farage wrote in his Tiwtter micro blog.

AMENDED: According to President of the European Commission press-person the telephone consultation between him and Prime Minister Theresa May are ongoing.

🇪🇺🇬🇧 @JunckerEU took a phone call from @theresa_may. She informed him on the latest state of play around #Article50#Brexit process and consulted him about the best way how to approach the #EUCO. Discussions are continuing.

BritishPrime Minister Theresa May will request a “short delay” for departure of the UK from the EU in a letter to the European Council on March 20, Sky News cited an s senior government source. The move is feared by the Leavers to become a first step in a sequence of events leading to de facto cancellation the results of the Brexitreferendum.

The request of delay, almost three years since Britons voted in referendum to leave the European Union, leads to the Brexituncertainty with options of the a sequence of delays, mounting up to next five years of negotiations to produce a meaningful and mutually acceptable Article 50 Agreement. Some experts consider the delay in reality might become open-ended, without any definite deadline to respect, but causing by obligation of theUK to participate in the upcoming European elections, and engage in the next Brussels political cycle.

In need to postpone the formal Brexitdate March 29 Prime Minister Mayhas to apply to European Council President Donald Tusk, responsible for the EU Summit preparations to present the request to the heads of states and governments of the EU member-states on 21 of March.

However the length of the delay beyond May 24 inevitably leads to the engagement of the UK in the European elections, and the next political cycle in the EU, the move that the Leavers presume will jeopardise the entire Brexit process for years to come.

Donald Trump Jr. and this US Administration are our friends, not the likes of Mr Juncker. Brexit must be delivered next week. https://t.co/hSnHoEySGf

There are also concerns among the European politicians about the import the Westminsterpolitical crisis to Brussels, affecting the future of the bloc. The president of the EU Council Donald Tusk indicated via his Twitter micro blog, that ‘no-deal‘ Brexit, or the break with the UK without any agreement, is still on the cards.

Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament representative for Brexitnegotiations has responded to the Westminster decision with a rhetoric question on cross-party talks: ” It is time for country to come before party!“, he insisted.

Why should the EU27 even consider a #Brexit extension this week, if the UK Parliament vote on the deal is cancelled? Where are the cross-party talks? I will keep saying this; it is time for country to come before party!

Although there is an understanding that Brexitwithout a legal framework would be a catastrophe, the ‘open end‘ extension of Article 50is not considered as an option for Members of European Parliament (MEP), who consider it would import British political crisis from the Westminster, and block the development of the European Union. There is also a concern that Brexit crisis might ‘hijack‘ the European elections, imposing its own agenda.While the MEPs recommend, it is up to the European Council to decide if an extension can be granted, and for what period of time.

Julie GIRLING, MEP (EPP, UK), explains that the request to shift the UK departuredeadline (March 29) might be refused as a result of the alliance between Matteo Salvini EuroscepticLega and Nigel Farage Brexit party, insisting “Leave means leave’“.